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In monster movies, when someone – preferably an anxious scientist – tells you that the happening electrical fluctuations aren't caused by transformer malfunctions, and that they are electromagnetic pulses, it’s wise to listen to them. Especially when their next sentence is: “You have no idea what's coming”, and “it is going to send us back to the Stone Age”.

A scene from movie, "Godzilla". – Courtesy Photo

In Godzilla, the new unspectacular version negating Roland Emmerich’s 1998 panned blockbuster, the line comes from a guy called Joe Brody played by a wasted Brian Cranston.

Big lizard, rampaging bigger cities

In the world formed by screenwriter Max Borenstein’s and director Gareth Edwards, the sloppy hulking gray-ish lizard’s job is to kill the competing species. That would be the Mosura, a pair of winged Kaiju’s (that’s giant monster to anyone not from Japan), spawned by radiation whose off-springs – likely in the hundreds of thousands – would kill the planet’s domineering species; meaning us.

A scene from movie, "Godzilla". – Courtesy Photo

We, after finding out nuclear explosions can’t hurt the big scaly lizard, are quick to pick sides. And so, in one of the scenes Godzilla has an official military escort as he swims to fight off the Mosura in the middle of San Francisco.

Hundreds of anonymous citizens, wide-eyed in terror run frenzied, often with Lieutenant Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a soldier on his way back to his wife, Elle (Elizabeth Olsen), a nurse, who is too busy bandaging victims to hear of the Kaiju devastation playing on the big-screen television sets of her hospital.

A scene from movie, "Godzilla". – Courtesy Photo

These scenes, which pop-up every now and then, are technically apt, very expensive to produce, but choppily executed. The upshot feels like a robbed experience, especially when the Kaiju’s take breathers during brawls, and disappear from scenes, and all we see – in 3D nonetheless – are real estate damages.

The other pivotal humans, Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins, the government’s secret scientists, meanwhile are safe in fortified security.

A scene from movie, "Godzilla". – Courtesy Photo

In a way, the characters vocations are custom-placed elements that would leverage the movie’s human angle. A soldier, making his way back will see a lot of action; the nurse would heal the wounded, the military would be concerned safe-keepers, and the scientists would be figuring the way out of this mess.

The Final Word

Godzilla, like the monster-lizard, is equal parts bloated and boring.

Edwards, who did a fantastic job with Monsters, is intelligent enough to build intrigue, if not momentum, in the first half, losing the movie’s pop grandeur once the Kaiju tournament begins.

Most of the action, expensive as it is, keeps Godzilla out of frame or in the dark (the lizard has a 20% on-screen role). Edwards instead shifts focus on half-convincing human anguish – which, unfortunately isn’t his directorial forte, yet.

Released in Pakistan by HKC and Warner Bros. “Godzilla” is rated PG-13 for nothing you haven’t seen before.

Directed by Gareth Edwards; Produced by Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent and Brian Rogers; Written by Max Borenstein, based on the character “Godzilla,” (owned by Toho Company Ltd.), and Story by David Callaham; Cinematography by Seamus McGarvey; Edited by Bob Ducsay; and Music by Alexandre Desplat.

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Comments (8) Closed

Dorian

May 26, 2014 06:55pm

Worst movie ever

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Richard

May 27, 2014 09:55am

You couldn't review a kindergarten play and hit it right. This is the grandest Godzilla of them all...from his nuclear fire breathing to that signature roar...Godzilla is the star, just like the ship was the star in Titanic. And they left it wide open for a sequel, which we should see in 2016 or so. So the show will go on, with or without your vitriol. You probably would have given Gone With The Wind or Wizard of Oz a bad review.

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Adeel

May 27, 2014 10:24am

@Richard, Agreed

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malik

May 27, 2014 10:41am

True, Boing and stupid movie.

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Khalid

May 27, 2014 11:02am

@Richard
Yes exactly my point, doesnt mean hes a critic means he just have to bash the movie. The movie was technically solid and the special effects were amazing.
Giving Godzilla too much time would have taken the thrill off his scenes. They build up the suspense and made people call out for Godzilla when he eventually made his appearance.
Also, this was much much better than the 1998 Godzilla movie.
In the end, it was a monster movie, not drama movies where theres so much time to create character development and story line on which the movie is judged as a pass or fail, as the focus was on the monsters.... still the director did well. Not the best movie ofcourse, but then when did movies like these won oscars?

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Bilal Khan

May 27, 2014 11:30am

You found GODZILLA bloated and boring!! LOL!
This movie was made to show off Godzilla taking on 'malevolent creatures' and THAT is exactly what it did.. Review the movie for what it is not for what you wanted it to be!

Or did you walk in hoping Godzilla will give you an Oscar worthy performance?

Godzilla was great, 4/5 from me!

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Asad

May 27, 2014 12:22pm

This isnt a review....this is a spoiler!!!!!

People who havent watched the movie......dont read this article.

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Indian

May 28, 2014 02:15am

@Khalid

You cant compare Godzilla(1998) with this movie.......these are completely two different movies......while 1998 movies was more entertaining, this is more like a cult movie.